A circle with no beginning
by koolkatkoolkat123
Summary: This is just like any other wolf quest game, a wolf named Snowdrop is kicked out of her birth pack to find a mate and have pups, will she succeed in raising them all to adulthood successfully. Rated T for possible violence
1. Chapter 1

**This is about the behaviour, no dialogue will be used in this fic (Though may include for special characters), it won't be like unrealistic multiplayer**

It all began like any other story with one wolf, just one wolf. A young female from the Specimen Pack reached the age of maturity. Her brothers and sisters had all left and now it was finally time for her to leave. Snowdrop watched her younger siblings play with softness in her yellow gaze. Her ears pricked up at the sounds of paw steps thundering on the ground, it was her father returning from a hunt. She took one last look at her birth pack and ran away noticing her father's warning growl behind her

She breathed in deeply as she stepped across the border into a new world; she looked from side to side unsure which way to go first. This was all so new and stressful to her; she lowered her head and flattened her ears, a whine escaped from her mouth. She shook herself and raised her head again scolding herself with a growl. If her parents could see her now they would be disappointed, her mother hadn't raised her so she'd cower whenever anything changed. She lifted her muzzle to the sky and scented the air; the scent of her birth pack was too strong here and masked anything else. She left heading for the hunting grounds, her parents had raised her well, and the moment she became old enough to try they took her to her first lesson on hunting. She wagged her tail at the thought of a chase. She liked to think of herself as quite a strong wolf but fast enough to hunt efficiently

She went to the nearest hunting grounds and sat down scenting many different prey trails, she could smell a recently killed bull elk but she steered clear of that one for she could see a brown bulk in amongst the trees. Snowdrops eyes gleamed, the herd was so close and it hadn't noticed her yet but they would for her white coat wasn't designed for camouflage. She searched the herd for any youngsters but it wasn't the season for calves, her keen eye spotted a cow elk a little away from the herd easy to cut off and catch for it limped every now and then. She dropped into a crouch as the bull of the herd looked her way, slinking away from his view she got into a good position and wanted to laugh as her target moved a little closer. A bird call alerted the herd and they bolted, Snowdrop cursed as she was trapped in a stampede, their dangerous hooves churned up dust getting into her eyes and mouth. She coughed and spluttered and rubbed at her eyes frantically as they stung terribly. Once the dust had cleared in every way Snowdrop took a minute to get her bearings. She scented something else nearby, a wolf!?

Snowdrop caught the herds scent trail and followed it ignoring the competition; the trail led her to a cluster of 4 or 5 cow elk. The bull was nowhere to be seen. She grinned in a wolfish way, her target elk was with them and she kept lagging behind. She used the trees and shrubs as cover, though the dust had coated her fur making it a sort of grey colour. She saw something out of the corner of her eye but ignored it. She sprang forwards and easily separated her elk from the rest as they bolted at the first sighting of a wolf. She growled as bit deeply into its hindquarters and tried to jump onto its back. The elk although injured kept fighting, she bucked and kicked, one hoof came dangerously close. Something else crashed into the elk making it lose its balance and stumble falling to the ground, Snowdrop wasted no time and went for the kill. Her jaws wrapped around its jugular until she stopped breathing. She let go and was surprised to see another wolf there, amber eyes fixed on her kill. She leaped to her paws and snarled; raising her hackles and tail, the other wolf looked confused for a moment then bowed in a playful way much to Snowdrops surprise. Snowdrop scented the air and realised the wolf was a she wolf. The she wolf nearly sighed and bowed again jumping from side to side, her tail wagging. Snowdrops yellow eyes widened slightly, she bowed as well then yipped happily. She tackled the female like she did when she was a pup. This was Dahlia, a black she wolf that looked so much like their father it was scary amber eyes and all. Dahlia pushed her sister off her then stood up. Her eyes went to the kill again and then to Snowdrop. Snowdrop gave a subtle nod and let Dahlia eat before she joined her to get back the energy she'd used on that hunt

Once they'd eaten the sisters looked at each other, Snowdrop nudged her gently and led her away. Dahlia wagged her tail when Snowdrop gave her the invitation to join her. Snowdrop glanced back and looked a little amused, Dahlia never lost her puppy side which made her glad it was Dahlia she'd run into and not Lillian or her brother Foalan. Those two were so proud they'd end up ripping each other apart if she chose to journey with them. Dahlia suddenly took the lead and Snowdrop raced after her. The black female paused and sniffed the air; she lifted her muzzle and howled. Snowdrop stiffened as a howl answered her. Dahlia didn't seem to notice her sister's irritation as she ran to greet a male wolf. The male was a light grey with sharp amber eyes that almost matched Dahlias. The pair exchanged affectionate licks and nuzzles and it was a while before Dahlia remembered Snowdrop. She introduced the male as Storm, her mate. Snowdrop did her best to look happy for her but she felt a stab of envy for her sister's easy search for a mate. The feeling of dislike was mutual for her and Storm, the male looked up and down at the white wolf. He nudged Dahlia and the pair raced away, Dahlia glanced at Snowdrop over her shoulder oblivious to the fact that neither wolf wanted her to follow but Snowdrop would for her sister's sake. She noticed how Storm weaved in and out of the trees, leaping over rocks and ditches. She could see that he was trying to ditch her, she could easily catch them for her speed and stamina was greater than theirs but chose to let them go. She sighed, even Dahlia the wolf who always acted like a newborn pup had changed

**So please review, it keeps me writing**


	2. Chapter 2

**Before I begin I would like to point out that I have done a lot of research for this fic so if you think my facts are wrong make absolutely sure they are before you tell me**

Snowdrop tried not to let the news about Dahlias mate get her down, she raised her head and sent a silent prayer to anyone watching them up there to watch over her sisters family and guide her to raising all her pups to adulthood. Snowdrops concern for her sister was obvious; her sister was too gentle and vulnerable. The loss of one puppy could destroy her and the rest of her youngsters would suffer as a result. She closed her eyes and prayed that would not happen, she felt a stab of guilt and wondered if she should have gone with her to help Dahlia protect those precious pups despite Storms obvious and immediate dislike to her. She shook her head; she wanted to start her own pack with her own mate far away from her birth pack. She tilted her head thinking about the possibilities of her future pack, most wolf packs were just for the mother father and their pups but Snowdrop wanted all that and more. She wanted to create what generations of her blood had worked to build over the years, a pack that would last

But first she would need to find a mate for she couldn't start one on her own, she looked a bit worried at the thought of choosing her mate for although as a pup she was gentle and quiet but as an adult she acted harshly with aggression, Dahlia was proof of that. She just hoped that when she'd found the right male he'd accept her offer. She shook herself, if she was going to find a mate then she'd need to find one of the wolf territories, this scared her a little as her father always warned them to stay away from other wolf packs but that was when they were defenceless pups and now she was a full grown adult. If she wanted to survive to get her first litter she'd have to show no fear.

She walked towards Soda Butte Vista, a large wolf territory on top of a hill spilling into the mountains. She wanted a strong mate, powerful enough to fight grizzlies if he had to. Everyone always said the Druid pack was the strongest so all she had to do was find a male who had been kicked out of his pack. She just hoped her white coat would convince him to mate with her and that he'd ignore her obvious scent so he wouldn't recognise her as Specimen Pack. Wolf packs were always cautious around each other and often reacted with aggression whenever they saw another. She paused seeing something moving through the trees, her golden eyes widened and gleamed with excitement, it was a male a particularly handsome male. The male didn't seem to notice her for she was downwind; he kept sniffing the air and putting his nose to the ground following some sort of scent trail. He looked about the same age as her so she ran forward and then crept up on him in case he didn't want to be disturbed

The male narrowed his eyes when he heard paw steps behind him, he turned around and his amber eyes widened slightly at the beautiful white and rare coat of the she wolf before him. He could see what she wanted the way she was trying to act all friendly. He had been kicked out of his pack a couple of weeks ago and he'd been bold enough to test the dominant wolf's patience by hanging by his birth packs territory. He was one of those rare births from a subordinate wolf so the alphas didn't want him hanging around even if he did help protect their next litter; if they saw him again they wouldn't give him a playful warning this time. He noticed how the she wolf kept bowing inviting him to play but he wouldn't until she asked the final question 'Do you want to start a pack with me?' His answer was a clear yes as he returned her nuzzle. The she wolf looked happier than ever. He introduced himself as Nightrush, it was an odd name he admitted but it was the name his mother had given him so Nightrush it is. Snowdrop pressed close to her new mate but she was surprised when Nightrush nudged her in another direction. She could only follow, Nightrush wasn't taking any chances. Now that he had a mate to protect he couldn't take any more stupid risks, he might miss that. He steered her well clear of the Druid pack.

Snowdrop was overjoyed, this male was hers and she was his and he looked strong, strong enough to protect their puppies she hoped. She licked his muzzle and bumped into him on purpose swinging her body round so he stumbled a little. Nightrush had a mischievous glint in his amber eyes; he took her challenge and lunged at her. Snowdrop responded by enticing him into a game of chase, she kept stopping and starting whenever he got too close to her. She was teasing him; she was confident of her speed and knew he wouldn't be able to keep up. Suddenly Nightrush disappeared and she looked around confused, she noticed the shadow of a wolf over hers and yelped as Nightrush tackled her to the ground jumping from the rock he'd been perched on. She yipped with delight as the pair wrestled with each other; it reminded her of her puppyhood. When they finally broke apart, Snowdrops white fur was covered in dirt and sand making her look more like a member of Slough pack then Specimen and Nightrush's black fur looked almost grey now. Snowdrop looked down at herself and started to lick her pelt clean but paused and looked around, it would be perfect to attempt a hunt when her pelt matched the ground

Nightrush caught on quickly for he was already heading to the nearest hunting grounds, he was pretty fast she had to give him that but not as fast as she was as she proved when she won their race to get to the hunting grounds first but Nightrush proved himself to be the best tracker as he found the herds with no trouble. It was an ordinary deer herd; the stag was a royal with at least 10 tines on his beautiful antlers. He grazed with his does but he kept glancing around checking for danger such as two hungry wolves. Snowdrop dropped into a crouch with ease and stalked forward scanning each member of the herd carefully. Snowdrop had observed her parents hunting and with her keen eyes spotted several smaller deer in amongst the adults. She seemed surprised to see young calves now at this time but it wasn't that rare to see calves during this time of year. This was why the stag was on such high alert. The two wolves split up; Nightrush slinked off to find a decent ambush site. Snowdrops plan was to target a doe, and if she could grab one of the fawns. She crept forwards making sure to keep still whenever the stag looked in her direction. She was just a hare length from the doe when she sprang into action, she snarled and snapped at the doe's legs herding her towards Nightrush

Nightrush got the timing perfect, his jaws wrapped around the doe's throat and he squeezed. Snowdrop used this distraction to scratch and bite its flank, swallowing the sweet blood when it rushed into her mouth. Her eyes sparkled when the doe gave up and fell to the ground; they waited until it had taken its final breath before they dug in. Snowdrop ate with no breaks but she noticed Nightrush would eat a bit then look up as if he were looking for danger, such as bears and coyotes. She wagged her tail; she couldn't wait for their cubs to be born. Suddenly a cold breeze ruffled her fur and she shivered, Nightrush whined and nosed her gently, he kept looking at the sky. They both knew they'd wasted enough time; they had to get to the den site before winter was over. The minute they'd stepped away from the kill a bear zoned in on it, Snowdrop wrinkled her nose in disgust as it ripped into the remains of the kill. Nightrush was panicking, he kept running forward then back to check on her, after a while it got really annoying so she snapped at him, he stopped. Snowdrop wished they had chosen the hunting grounds nearest to the mountains which they had to go over to get to Slough Creek

**Thank you for reviewing taylor, to anyone else that reads my fics remember reviews are my inspiration unless I get them I probably won't continue unless I get a shot of muse **


	3. Chapter 3

**I wasn't expecting this kinda feedback, thank you. I'll do my best to keep this up**

Snowdrop shivered, the first snowflake had fallen, on her nose. She sneezed and shook her head; her mate looked back at her and whined. He padded back to her and nosed her belly gently. He'd been doing that a lot lately, Snowdrop loved him but it got really tiresome after a while. She shoved him away from her carefully to make sure he understood why

The pair had been in Slough Creek for a while now searching for a good de site that would keep away dangers so far they'd found nothing suitable and Snowdrops belly grew larger with every passing day. Nightrush was right to be anxious; it wouldn't do if she had her cubs in the snow. He noticed something on top a hill that looked like a good den site but luck was not on their side for Snowdrop stumbled and sank into the snow. He could sense straight away she was giving birth right here right now; he flattened his ears and stood a little away from her so he could watch for predators that may take advantage of their situation

Snowdrop closed her eyes as her whole body trembled; she tried to cover her howls of pain so she didn't draw any attention. The first puppy slid out and she wasted no time in licking it clean and then the wrong way to get its circulation going. She smiled when it gave a small squeak. Nightrush was tempted to turn around and look at his firstborn but he knew the rules of birthing and looked away from his mate. Snowdrop found after the first the others came more easily, 4 cubs 3 females and one male. She gave a bark in her mate's direction, he turned and she could see the joy on his face. He rushed over and licked her and their cubs

The male was her firstborn, a large handsome dark grey pup, it was clear he was going to have a black pelt, they named him Shadow. The 3 females were all silver, named Arctic, Silver and Timber. They were beautiful but they were far too young to be travelling now. The pair worked together to get their pups to the den site they would carry them a few metres then go back and get the others, it took about 20 minutes to reach the den site and everyone was exhausted. Snowdrop quickly made a den and got the pups inside before they froze to death; Nightrush joined them just to help them get warm even though it was against the rules. Snowdrop gazed down at her young pups, her yellow eyes soft. She thanked whatever gods were up there for protecting her cubs from the cold

The next day was a little more tolerable, the snow had stopped and the sun shone down on their den. Nightrush emerged from the den and blinked at the harsh glare of the sun. He glanced back into the den and was tempted to go back but he knew his mate wouldn't thank him for it, the den was small and cramped and the cubs might be hurt. He padded down towards the hunting grounds and hoped he'd be successful; Snowdrop would need a lot of meat if she was going to feed four hungry cubs. He froze and sniffed the air, there was a bear sniffing around. He growled if that beast found the den his family wouldn't stand a chance. He sniffed the air again; the bear wasn't that close and he couldn't afford to get injured fighting it off. He turned around and returned to his hunting

Snowdrop was relieved when Nightrush returned with food, he dropped it outside her den and she padded up cautiously to collect it. She had seen the bear sniffing around and it worried her, if a bear attacked her family they wouldn't stand a chance. She ate the meat then fed her little ones licking their fur clean as she did so

Nightrush stood guard outside the nursery; he kept shifting and trying to get comfortable. In truth all he wanted to do right now is go inside and nuzzle his family to death but they wouldn't thank him for that and no wolf but the mother may enter the den. Suddenly he raised his hackles and arched his back, his ears flat and his teeth bared. The bear was back; he snarled and shifted so his body blocked the entrance to the den. The bear eyed him and sniffed the air, it took a step closer and Nightrush fake lunged to warn it off but it didn't work, the beast kept going and Nightrush had had enough. He ran forward and ducked underneath the bear's claws moving so he was behind it and could bite without having to deal with the deadly parts. He didn't stop until the bear gave in and ran off but before it did it swiped at Nightrush sending him flying into the nearest, thickest tree. He whined as he tried to get to his paws again but he kept slipping


	4. Chapter 4

Snowdrop woke the next morning; she tip toed around her sleeping cubs and went to the entrance of the den. She tilted her head when she found no meat waiting for her and looked around for Nightrush. She poked her head out of the den and pulled it back in immediately afterwards, the scent of blood was mingled with death. She whined as she left the den and froze seeing a black lump of fur against a tree. She walked towards him cautiously and nudged him gently, he didn't respond. Panicking now she padded in a circle around him checking for his breathing and signs that he was still alive, she didn't find any. Snowdrop closed her eyes, lifted her muzzle and howled her grief for the whole of Slough Creek to hear. Her mate was gone and she was all alone

She quickly checked the cubs were safe inside the den before she grabbed Nightrush's scruff and dragged him away to be buried. She gazed sadly at his body as she kicked dirt over his grave until she could no longer see him. When she returned to her den she made a split decision, Nightrush had died protecting them and whatever had killed him had probably made its territory here. She carried her cubs out of the den one by one, they still shouldn't be old enough to travel but she wasn't taking any chances. She knew there was a decent den site nearby but not too close to clash, she did wonder if she had the strength to raise her little ones. Without Nightrush she didn't stand a chance against bears. It took a lot longer to transport her cubs as she was the only one running back and forth and she was terrified a predator would snatch them up so she moved quickly so by the time she reached the new den she was exhausted and could barely lift her head to nuzzle her cubs

Raising 4 cubs on her own was incredibly difficult, Snowdrop couldn't bear to leave them behind for too long so hunting had to be quick and easy and small. She would wake up, feed them with whatever she had left then go out to hunt whilst they stayed inside, she hoped, then fed them again. She watched them grow and noticed changes in her cubs, even though a good meal was hard to find they all were developing quite nicely. It wouldn't be long before they could make the journey to the summer den. Till then Snowdrop wasn't sure what they were going to do, fortunately there had only been one sighting of coyotes and she killed the first one to try and get closer to her family but it wouldn't last, she was sure of that.

**Shorter chapter this time due to key event**


	5. Chapter 5

When Snowdrop woke she decided today was the day, mostly because the den was quite crowded now as the cubs were a lot bigger. She squeezed out of the den and blinked up at the morning sun, she gazed at the sky looking for large birds of prey. She turned around and gave a sharp bark, hopefully waking up the cubs. They obviously didn't want to come as all stumbled as they came out. Snowdrop took a moment to study them carefully; her firstborn Shadow looked a lot like his father. He had his father's black coat and amber eyes; he was also the largest of her litter, now he was about the size of large dog in its teens. She wondered if she'd been feeding him too much as he was far too heavy to carry now. Then there were the 'twins' Silver and Timber, the pair weren't really twins but they copied each other and they both had the same silver coat and light green eyes, they were a tad smaller then Shadow. Finally there was the runt of the litter Arctic, her grey coat from birth had lightened until it was a brilliant white rather like her mothers and her eyes were golden. She was still the smallest, which was both good and bad news, good because she could still be carried and protected in this way and bad because larger wolves are targeted less but her siblings were very gentle with her and Shadow always looked out for her. Snowdrop glanced at Shadow, if an eagle swooped down and tried to carry him off she'd be a mixture of horrified and amused.

She led her cubs down to an elk carcass, because of Shadow's size she felt better about leaving them alone while she hunted, and she'd killed this one just yesterday. They were hungry and they had a long journey ahead of them, she made sure they had eaten until they felt fit to bursting before she carried on down the slope till they entered the hunting ground. Silver and Timber got excited and tried to sniff out an elk but Snowdrop quietened them. They would have plenty of time to learn once they reached their destination

She paused when they came to the river and padded up and down testing to see how shallow it was. She took Arctic across first despite the cub's protests and set her down on the other side; she was surprised to see Shadow cross it without her but not when he stood next to Arctic. Getting the 'twins' across was a lot harder than it should have been as they hated to be separated. She made sure she was quick and reunited the pair as soon as possible. So far everything had gone smoothly until the final stretch

She spotted a bear coming after her cub, Arctic of course because of her white coat it made it harder for her camouflage herself. She snarled and chased it away, it would keep coming back and it did. She bit it twice when she was behind it and yelped as its claws scored her shoulder. She bit it again and it decided enough was enough and ran. Snowdrop turned back to her cubs and realised Silver and Timber were missing. She traced her paw steps and found Timber walking in a circle looking very distressed. Snowdrops blood turned to ice, there was no sign of Silver. She looked for her paw prints and found it led to a set of prints leading nowhere else. She gazed at the sky then closed her eyes. It was clear what had happened to her daughter, a hawk had come whilst she was distracted and carried her off. Snowdrop picked up Timber and carried her back to where Shadow and Arctic were eating from an elk carcass. She set her down and ate from the carcass but when she glanced at Timber she saw she wasn't eating. She sighed and decided to allow her some time to grieve. After everyone had had their fill, except for Timber Snowdrop decided to let them rest. They were tired and her shoulder was throbbing from the bear attack

When they woke the next day, Snowdrop let them feed from the carcass but Timber still wasn't eating so Snowdrop carried her, they were making slow progress as she would walk a little way then stop and check to see if the others were following. She could see the summer den; it was just a few metres away. If she could just get there, her cubs would be safe. They were tired she realised and just wanted to get there as quickly as possible so she broke into a run and didn't stop until she reached the summer den. She set Timber down and licked her ear to try and comfort her whilst she waited for Shadow and Arctic to join them. She made sure they understood that she wanted them to stay put whilst she hunted properly for the first time in several months. She knew it made sense to bring them with her so they could try it for themselves but she wanted them to rest for a little while and get settled

Fortunately it was now spring and there were several calves in the elk herds, Snowdrop located one and stalked towards it but paused when she noticed an older, weaker cow separate from the herd. The hunt was quick and easy and when it was done she ate as much as she could manage then tore off a large piece to take back to her cubs, she just hoped Timber would eat this time but when she returned she was sorely disappointed for Timber was dead. She had died of hunger and a broken heart. She took Timbers body and buried it whilst Arctic and Shadow ate. The sad thing was Arctic and Shadow noticed their sisters were missing, before they had thought Silver was still with them because they looked so alike but now Timber was gone too they grieved. Snowdrop threw back her head and howled, she howled for her beloved Nightrush and her sweet innocent daughters Silver and Timber. She closed her eyes when Arctic and Shadow joined her. She glanced at her survivors and prayed she would have the strength to raise them to adulthood

**Now this is where WolfQuest ends however I will be continuing on until the cubs are ready to leave home and start their own families, and I'm sorry about killing so many characters but at least I didn't kill one of the 'twins' and let the other live to be constantly reminded of their dead sibling like a certain author**

**So anyway please review, I'm going to really need your reviews if I'm going to continue this**


	6. Chapter 6

**I just want to make this very clear, I am now writing about things I know about wolves meaning these last chapters will take a lot longer to figure out seeing as their isn't a third episode of WolfQuest yet**

Snowdrop watched as the sun rose and her two cubs rose with it. She could see they really didn't want to get up right now but she could guarantee their drowsiness would vanish once they understood. She gave a little howl that sent them bounding down the slope to join her. The pair looked quite excited and wagged their tails; they could tell something was up. Snowdrop turned and headed for the nearest hunting grounds, the moment they scented elk the two cubs started to yip with excitement until Snowdrop whipped round and snarled at them. She located the elk herd and it took a lot to hold back two hungry cubs. She made sure they stayed put whilst she checked out the herd looking for its weakest member. She signalled for her cubs to follow her lead and moved in towards a cow elk. She suddenly rushed forwards snapping at its heels and trying to lead it away from the herd, the rest of the herd had scattered and the wolves' ears were filled with the terrified bleats from the elk, it was rather unpleasant. As she was chasing the cow she gave a little howl letting her cubs know it was ok and hopefully get them to join in. Finally Shadow joined her; he attacked the elk raking his claws across its flanks drawing blood. Snowdrop spied Arctic at the front on the other side of Shadow trying to trip the elk. Eventually the wolves' hard work paid off and the elk sank to the ground in defeat. Snowdrop let Shadow kill it then stood back as they ate watching for dangers. They couldn't afford to lose this kill to bears or coyote, the pack hadn't eaten for a couple of days and Snowdrop figured every predator could hear their stomachs rumbling.

Once the cubs had satisfied themselves Snowdrop moved in, she bolted down the meat as fast as she could. She paused and sat down, her ears pricked up and she turned her head to see Arctic and Shadow playing in amongst the trees, she cocked her head wishing she could be that carefree. She thought of her puppyhood days once again. She was dragged out of her daydreams at the sound of snarling and her eyes widened when she realised her cubs were missing. She tracked them easily but what she found was not what she expected at all. Arctic and Shadow were facing off against a familiar black she wolf and male grey wolf. Snowdrop approached them all with caution and noticed 4 youngsters trailing behind them, she realised they were heading towards the summer den site. The moment the black she wolf spotted her all hostility died from her and she wagged her tail happily. Storm did not look too happy to see his mate's sister again; Snowdrop ignored him and padded up to stand beside her cubs. The tense atmosphere quickly changed into a calm and relaxed one as Dahlia introduced Snowdrop to her new family. Amazingly she'd managed to keep all four of her cubs alive, all of them were black like her but one, and the only males coat was a shade lighter than his sisters. The three females were called Ursula, Poppy and Bella and the male was named after his grandfather Talon. Storm like always was upset with his mates behaviour towards her relatives but he softened a little when Snowdrop offered them the rest of their kill. Even though Storm wouldn't like it the sisters decided they would stay together and raise their cubs together

Snowdrop led the pack back to the den site, she flicked her tail in amusement as she could hear Storm grumbling behind them but she could see that the grumpy male was a good father, probably the only reason why Dahlias cubs had survived this long. Snowdrop couldn't help but think of her lost daughters and a small whine escaped her causing Arctic to give her a curious look. She couldn't help but wonder though it was crazy if Storm and Dahlia thought she was a bad mother because she had lost two cubs and they had all four still. She shook herself; it wouldn't do anyone any good to get into a fight now. Perhaps it was a sign that merging the family packs into one was bad idea

**Gahh coming up with names is not fun, by the way, this is going to be a series and maybe you could help me by suggesting names for the future families. Review with your suggestions, remember reviews are my inspiration**


	7. Chapter 7

A couple of weeks later Snowdrop was watching her cubs playing with Dahlias, her gaze was mostly on the younger cubs. She knew that Arctic and Shadow were too young to leave her but she longed for another litter but if she chose another mate she would have to say goodbye to her cubs for no male would tolerate cubs that didn't belong to him, something that poor Dahlia was learning the hard way. The sisters had noticed Storms absence, the male would do nothing but hunt then return when it was dark with some meat for his family, and he wouldn't let Snowdrop, Arctic or Shadow eat with them and grew extremely angry whenever one of Snowdrops cubs approached him or his family. Still, his hunts meant that the six cousins could play without getting attacked for it.

Snowdrop pricked up her ears at the sound of paw steps, Storm was back early. She barked a warning to the youngsters and they broke apart. Storm ran up dropped meat at Dahlias paws then raced off back towards the hunting grounds but not before giving Snowdrop a nasty snarl. Snowdrop growled quietly to herself, she glanced at Arctic and Shadow and turned towards the hunting grounds, the pair understood immediately and followed her, their tails wagging furiously. As soon as they found an elk herd the cubs went silent, Snowdrop was pleased with their progress. Arctic being the smaller of the two was faster than her brother and her stamina was a little better, Shadow just had brute strength and used it to his advantage by trying to trip the prey, unfortunately smaller prey would just get squashed under his huge bulk whilst he was trying to pin it down something that extremely irritated his sister.

The hunt began as Arctic ran out towards three cow elks; she split them up and veered right to chase after the slower one. Snowdrop and Shadow ran behind trying to keep up. They chased the elk a long way. After about five minutes the pack had to stop to catch their breath, this was the furthest they had travelled for hunting, they had been lucky with hunts and the chases only lasted about thirty seconds. Snowdrop eyed her cubs wondering how they fared after a long chase, Arctic looked distressed, she was worried that they would lose this kill, maybe she'd misjudged and picked the wrong one and Shadow was glaring at his paws and shaking them every now and then, this bemused Snowdrop. They couldn't waste too much time or they really would lose this one, they set off again, Shadow was at the head of the pack, his black nose to the ground as he was the best tracker. They followed the trail until they finally tracked it down. Snowdrop took over and dropped into a crouch, the cow was drinking from the stream but it seemed to be on the alert. Snowdrop was the first to attack; she had a mixture of strength and speed. She helped by slowing it down so Arctic and Shadow could come in and finish it. Arctic and Shadow went either side and bit at its flanks until blood flowed out of its wounds. It wasn't long before the cow staggered and went down. The pack wasted no time and dug in, ripping large chunks and gulping them down. Snowdrop watched as Shadow dominated the kill on his side, he'd let Arctic eat but snarled at her if she ate too much .She watched with interest for she remembered her pack hunts when she was young, she wasn't the smallest but her siblings Lillian and Foalan would do everything they could to stop her from eating. It wasn't until both Snowdrop and Shadow were finished did he let Arctic eat what she wanted, the leftovers

Snowdrop and Shadow were sat underneath a tree enjoying the shade when they heard a yelp. Shadow snarled as Arctic ran towards them, her ears flat and her tail between her legs for a bear had come out of nowhere and chased her off. Snowdrop gazed steadily at the bear before leading her cubs away from the kill. Shadow and Arctic looked confused as their mother was walking in the opposite direction of the den site. Snowdrop ignored them and then she could hear their confused barks turn into sad whines as they realised they weren't going back. It pained Snowdrop to leave her sister with four cubs but it would be better for all of them if they let them be. She found the pack a good resting place and settled down for the night. Her ears pricked up as she heard a sad howl in the distance, she looked down, it was Dahlia.

The next day Snowdrop chose not to take part in the next hunt, Shadow and Arctic looked confused and a little nervous but they went without her. Snowdrop felt guilt pricking her paws as if she was walking on a bed of thorns for Snowdrop was hunting but not for food, she was hunting for a mate. She felt that desire to mate again overwhelm everything else, including her responsibilities to her cubs. However things never go the way you want, she had been following several wolf trails and all so far had led her to either dispersal females or packs which she chose to avoid. Her paws were starting to ache so she sat down to rest panting a little. Her ears pricked up as leaves crunched under her paws. She turned to see a male wolf a little way from her, he was rather handsome, he was rather large, had sleek black fur and yellowy green eyes. He approached her cautiously and sniffed at her, once he'd determined she didn't belong to another male he started to act extra friendly. Snowdrop acted extra flirty, she rubbed against him brushing her tail under his chin. They behaved this way for a few minutes then mated right there and then

Snowdrop discovered that his name was Adonis and that he was a descendant of the Druid pack which explained why he was this size. Adonis was overjoyed that he had found a mate at last but Snowdrop couldn't share his happiness just yet. She led him back to where she had left her cubs; they were waiting for her there. She saw their delight at seeing her turn to fear when they spotted Adonis. The large black male narrowed his eyes and moved quickly towards them, the cubs backed away even Shadow who almost matched Adonis in size. She could see their confusion as they ran away from this male whilst their mother did nothing to stop him, to protect them. Their fear took over and they raced away as fast as their legs would carry them, Adonis grunted in satisfaction and returned to Snowdrop, he licked her face and settled down beside her. Snowdrop watched her cubs retreat and prayed they would be alright.

**Please review and request names, cubs are on the way**


	8. Chapter 8

**To Hazelpaw thank you very much for your reviews they gave me the kick I needed to continue writing. I just wanted to say also your request for Talon/Arctic and Shadow/Poppy to get together, it would be a good idea if they weren't related as wolves try to avoid inbreeding which is why they only have one breeding pair most of the time.**

Snowdrop was rather pleased with her new mate he was affectionate and attentive. Ever since their mating he had become very protective of her, it made her wonder if Adonis had lost someone too perhaps his mate or his cubs. Adonis was about her age, she seriously doubted any male would wait that long to sire cubs. He walked beside her and now and then he would pretend to stumble and bump into her. She turned to look at him; he gazed at her with sparkling golden eyes, his tongue lolled out of his mouth and his tail wagged furiously. He reminded her of a cub, young, innocent and just wants to play. She couldn't help herself; she leapt at him and pushed him down, and gave him a playful nip on the ear. He growled in reply to her challenge and pushed her off, male wolves were usually bigger than females and he was no exception. Snowdrop bared her teeth and leaped again, he did the same, and they met in mid-air. They snarled and growled at each other as they broke apart and Snowdrop began to circle her mate. He had begun to tire of the game and so had she but there was time for one more attack. She leaped once more, her hind paws fixed firmly on the ground her forepaws either side of his head almost locked together, she used her position to half nuzzle half bite his scruff or neck. Adonis ended the game by hitting her hind legs to make her fall then pushed her gently off him. She lay down whilst she got her breath back, Adonis lay beside her and groomed her thick white coat.

Snowdrop was enjoying the feeling of his tongue smoothing her fur, she gave an annoyed grunt when he suddenly stopped. She felt him stiffen beside her; she raised her head to see what had upset him. She froze; she could just make out a dark shape and the gleam of amber. Adonis started to growl and sit up, his hackles raised as he did so. There was no doubt about it; it was a male a young male in his prime. He had heard them 'fighting' and had come over to investigate. He started to advance once he realised there was a female involved thinking he could challenge her mate for her. He quickened his pace after getting a good look of Adonis and realizing the black male was older than him and possibly slower too.

Adonis stood up slowly; he took a step forward so he was in front of Snowdrop. He didn't want to fight the younger wolf so he opted for the stare down challenge. His eyes locked with the males amber ones, he bared his teeth and arched his back ever so slightly trying to look big and threatening. The male responded by rushing forwards, he hadn't come here to be scared away by the big bad wolf, Adonis had expected it and the pair clashed. Adonis fought to keep his opponents teeth away from his neck. Snowdrop watched from a safe place, she found it hard to keep track of Adonis for both males were black. The wolves were a blur as they whirled around each other snapping and biting at anything they could reach. Snowdrops ears pricked up as a loud yelp pierced the air. Adonis staggered back, he held his right forepaw slightly off the ground, blood trickled down his leg and seeped into the earth. The sight of it made Adonis very angry indeed, the other male had let down his guard as he thought the older wolf would give up; he wasn't prepared when Adonis attacked again.

Of course Adonis was at a disadvantage but this wasn't the first wound he'd received in a fight, the younger male had failed to take into account his experience for Adonis had learnt to adapt his fighting styles when injured. The fight started up again and both wolves didn't hold back but this time the younger male was being pushed back by Adonis. It all ended when Adonis broke through his defences and forced him onto his back. He bared his teeth and was about to tear out his throat when the young wolf began to whine and leaned his head back to expose his throat entirely. Submission at last, Adonis stepped off him and the male scrambled to his paws and ran far away from them with his tail between his legs, he never looked back. Adonis turned his head at a bark and Snowdrop bounded up to greet him. He nuzzled her and licked her face, his ears twitched at her whine and he followed her gaze to his injured paw. He nudged her towards a large tree that could provide them with shelter. She lay down by his paws, he waited for her to fall asleep and lifted his paw and licked it till the bleeding stopped.

**Cubs coming soon, keep reviewing and thank you all for submitting names**


	9. Chapter 9

Snowdrops belly complained as they ploughed through the tall grass, Adonis glanced at her he looked almost apologetic. Ever since Adonis's victory hunting had become rather difficult. His paw hadn't healed yet and that slowed him down. Their prey could smell him before he got close enough and were too quick for him to catch. Snowdrop could catch up to them no problem but then what would she do next, without Adonis to help bring it down she had no choice but to let it go or risk injuring herself in the process. She had had only two successful hunts in two weeks but it was only because the prey tripped over a root or rock, she could only rely on luck now.

Hunting live prey wouldn't sustain them so they had resorted to searching the skies for scavenger birds such as crows which would lead them to leftovers of a kill. They both hated it; Snowdrop didn't feel like a proper wolf whenever she was eating from an abandoned carcass and they couldn't stay long anyway. With Adonis injured he was unable to protect his mate properly so they ate what they could and moved on before a bear caught their scent

She couldn't blame Adonis though, of course it wasn't his fault but when you are hungry and tired you tend to get rather irritable. Adonis had caught on quickly and instead of walking side by side like they always did he walked, limped a few feet behind her. If he got too close or sometimes her tail would brush against his nose she would turn around and snarl at him, she nearly bit him once, her teeth came so close to his face he heard her jaws snap shut onto thin air mere centimetres from his cheek

That wasn't what worried Adonis though, every day he noticed his mate's stomach getting bigger and rounder. Her cubs would come soon. The last thing Adonis wanted was for his mate to give birth when her ribs were just beginning to show.

Suddenly Snowdrop stopped; she raised her head and sniffed the air, she changed direction and soon Adonis caught the scent of prey. Fortunately for them it was a herd of deer, they were not as dangerous as elk but they were a little faster which was bad news for Adonis. They decided to change tactics for this hunt and Adonis was more than happy to let his mate take the lead. Snowdrop directed him to an area filled with green; he was to be the ambush when she herded the deer towards him. As for her she rolled around in the dust until her white coat was dull and grey, it wasn't perfect camouflage but it would do in a pinch

She crouched down and moved towards her prey, she was still wading through tall grass. It was good and bad, good because it provided excellent cover for her and bad because if they looked up and saw the grass moving or flattened where she'd stood on it they may become suspicious and bolt before she had the chance to strike. She stopped dead when the lead stag lifted its head; he was a fine deer, a royal with 10 tines on his magnificent antlers the sight of them scared Snowdrop. She'd never been hurt by a stag before but there was a first for everything. She continued forward when he lowered his head again, her target was a doe that had moved away from the others. She sprang forwards startling the deer, she raced after hers, and it was surprisingly easy to cut this one off from the safety of the herd. She snapped at its hind legs trying to slow it down as it nearer her mate. She breathed a sigh of relief when Adonis timed his attack perfectly but she could see how much his injury was hurting him and knew they'd have to make this one quick. She increased her pace till her legs felt like they were on fire. They ran along either side of the doe, both biting and snapping at flesh till it gave up. They wasted no time on celebration and dove in

Adonis watched his mate eat; he wasn't surprised when she snarled at him when he got too close. He tore a piece of for himself and ate it underneath a tree and let Snowdrop have the rest. They left nothing for the scavengers above and fortunately no bear had tried to drive them off the kill. With the meat from this kill Snowdrop could put on the weight she'd lost, the weight she'd need if the cubs were going to survive and Adonis's leg would hopefully heal soon. The large male looked down at his injured paw and placed it on the ground carefully testing for pain, of course he found some but it didn't hurt to walk as much as it did now. They were both on the mend

**Hmm I didn't expect to make this many chapters it was supposed to be about 10 chapters long may have to extend that to 20 or 30 who knows. Anyway keep reviewing and next chapter cubs are coming**


	10. Chapter 10

Things were getting better for Snowdrop and Adonis; Adonis's leg had nearly healed which meant he could help his mate bring prey down. When they hunted they were usually successful, just like old times. Snowdrops belly was getting nice and round, it wouldn't be long now. All they had to do was find a decent spot to raise their cubs, preferably somewhere sheltered.

Snowdrop was getting a little bit more anxious everyday she couldn't help but remember her first litter which was born during the snows and she didn't want to give birth to her cubs before they'd found a den. After a few weeks of hunting and searching Adonis growled, they managed to find a clearing and Adonis didn't waste time in digging out a den. He was surprised to see Snowdrop helping him, it also concerned him he didn't want to lose any cubs because she over exerted herself. After a few minutes he growled at her, a warning to back off. She was rather taken aback since it had been her who had growled and snapped at him before. She snarled in reply and her hackles raised, yes they were mates but she had been the more dominant one for months now and she wasn't about to let that power go without a fight

She couldn't risk harming her cubs if she actually fought him, which no pregnant wolf would do, they would be foolish to try. It was more like a staring contest similar to the one Adonis had attempted with the young male, who blinks first wins. She slunk off to rest under a tree while her mate worked, her golden eyes narrowed, she hadn't been defeated just yet

The couple spent the next two suns hunting, well Adonis hunted, and guarding the den site. It would be just their luck if a family of bears decided to move in while they were away on a hunt. After the third sun Snowdrop felt a twinge in her belly. She backed away from her mate into the den and Adonis took the hint, males weren't really allowed to witness a birth or see their mate until it was over

He sat outside guarding the den, his ears twitched every now and then when he picked up yelps of pain from Snowdrop. Waiting for his cubs to come was agony, twice he'd tried to enter the den and twice he'd been snarled at. The thought of protecting newborns also made him a little jumpy, the shadows of the trees looked like animals moving and he'd growled at each one. It was a little like 'Cry Wolf' when you keep getting false alarms you are unprepared for when the actual danger arrives. Fortunately for them nothing decided to disturb them

After a couple of hours Snowdrop emerged from the den looking rather exhausted, she licked Adonis's nose. He had begun to drift off after the first hour and he jerked awake expecting to see a bear. His wide amber eyes softened when he saw his mate and nuzzled her cheek then they went to see their new family. Snowdrop returned to the den and curled up around her little ones, Adonis just poked his head in to look

Snowdrop had given birth to five tiny cubs, he'd never known she could carry so many and for all of them to survive the birth due to their month of starvation. However Adonis could see that two of his cubs were too small, it pained him to think it but he doubted they would survive their first week or maybe if they were lucky month. He shook that thought out of his head and gazed at his little family for a while longer before Snowdrop got irritated and pushed him outside

Snowdrop licked her cubs clean and allowed them to suckle from her, every second she thought about names. All cubs still had their dark coats and blue eyes, once they'd opened them, so Snowdrop decided to do what her mother did and name them once their pelts and eyes change. Snowdrops thoughts strayed too often on how her other cubs were doing. They would be classed as adults now and hopefully using the lessons she taught them, she wondered if the siblings were still together. She shook and growled at herself, that was her past and these newborns were her future. She watched with soft golden eyes as they climbed over each other and opened their mouths to squeak quietly in protest. She loved this part of being a parent, shame it didn't last longer


End file.
